Optical disk recording/playback device with means to recognize, read from and record to multiple types of optical disk types

An optical disk recording/playback device, comprising:

• a housing having a first generally vertical face, said face being formed with generally parallel, horizontally extending first and second openings;
• a cartridge holder disposed in said housing adjacent to said first opening for retaining an optical disk disposed in a cartridge, the cartridge being insertable through said first opening;
• a retractable tray on which a bare optical disk is insertable, said cartridge holder and said tray being arranged adjacent to one another and parallel to one another with respect to a vertical direction with said tray positioned within said housing, said retractable tray being configured to selectively extend through said second opening;
• a turntable disposed under said retractable tray in said housing, said turntable configured to center and retain the optical disk disposed in the cartridge in response to insertion of the cartridge into said cartridge holder, said turntable also configured to center and retain the bare optical disk in response to insertion of the bare optical disk onto said retractable tray, said turntable comprising:
• a motor having a shaft;
• an annular support member connected to said shaft, said annular support member formed with a tapered conical surface, said annular support member being spring biased away from said motor such that said tapered conical surface is engagable with a center portion of one of the optical disks;
• a magnetic body centered in said annular support member;
• a clamp means selectively engagable with one of the optical disks in response to a signal from a system controller;
• and
• wherein said motor is supported for pivotal movement within said housing for movement from a disk-disengaged position to a disk-engagement position in response to insertion of one of the optical disks;
• a first sensing means for sensing the presence of one of the optical disks in said housing;
• a second sensing means for determining the type of optical disk inserted into said housing;
• optical data reading means disposed in said housing for reading data stored on the optical disk inserted in said housing;
• an optical data recording head connected for movement with said optical data reading means for recording data on the optical disk inserted into said housing;
• system controller electronically connected to said optical data reading means and said first and second sensing means, said system controller:
• (a) determining an encoding format of the optical disk inserted into said housing in response to sensing by said second sensing means,
• (b) reading encoded data from the optical disk inserted into said housing using said optical data reading means using an encoding format determined in (a);
• (c) determining whether the optical disk inserted into said housing is a rewriteable optical disk,
• (d) recording data on said optical disk using said optical data recording head in response to (c) determining the optical disk inserted into said housing is a rewriteable disk.

An optical disk recording/playback device, comprising:

• a housing having a face formed with an opening;
• a tray supported by said housing, said tray being retractable from an open position where said tray at least partially extends out of said opening in said housing and to a closed position where said tray is retracted within said housing, said tray formed with a recess to receive a bare optical disk, said recess having a diameter generally corresponding to the bare optical disk, said tray also formed with a plurality of cartridge setting pins for receiving and retaining an optical disk disposed in a cartridge, said cartridge setting pins being formed on said tray radially outward from the diameter of said recess such that the cartridge is positionable over said recess;
• a turntable supported within said housing, said turntable being configured to center and retain one of the bare optical disk and the optical disk within the cartridge in response to one of the bare optical disk and the optical disk in the cartridge being received in said housing, said turntable comprising:
• a motor having a shaft;
• an annular support member connected to said shaft, said annular support member formed with a tapered conical surface, said annular support member being spring biased away from said motor such that said tapered conical surface is engagable with a center portion of one of the optical disks;
• a magnetic body centered in said annular support member;
• a clamp means selectively engagable with the optical disk in response to a signal from a system controller;
• and
• wherein said motor is supported for pivotal movement within said housing for movement from a disk-disengaged position to a disk-engagement position in response to insertion of one of the optical disks;
• a first sensor disposed in said housing configured to sense a presence of the cartridge in said tray;
• a second sensor disposed in said tray for sensing the presence of the bare optical disk on said tray;
• a third sensor disposed in said housing for sensing writeablity of the optical disk in the cartridge;
• optical data reading means disposed in said housing for reading data stored on one of the optical disk in the cartridge and the bare optical disk;
• an optical data recording head connected for movement with said optical data reading means for recording data on the optical disk disposed in said housing;
• system controller electronically connected to said optical data reading means and said first, second and third sensors, said system controller:
• (a) determining an encoding format of the optical disk disposed in said tray in response to sensing by one of said first and second sensors,
• (b) reading encoded data from the optical disk using said optical data reading means using an encoding format determined in (a);
• (c) determining whether the optical disk is a rewriteable optical disk in response to sensing by said third sensor,
• (d) recording data on the optical disk using said optical data recording head in response to (c) determining said optical disk is a rewriteable disk;
• and wherein
• said system controller is configured to operate said turntable in response to sensing of one of said first and second sensors.

An optical disk recording/playback device, comprising:

• a housing having a first generally vertical face, said face being formed with an opening;
• a cartridge holder disposed in said housing adjacent to said opening for retaining an optical disk disposed in a cartridge, the cartridge being insertable through said opening;
• a turntable disposed under said cartridge holder in said housing, said turntable configured to center and retain the optical disk disposed in the cartridge in response to insertion of the cartridge in said cartridge holder, said turntable comprising:
• a motor having a shaft;
• an annular support member connected to said shaft, said annular support member formed with a tapered conical surface, said annular support member being spring biased away from said motor such that said tapered conical surface is engagable with a center portion of the optical disk;
• a magnetic body centered in said annular support member;
• a clamp means selectively engagable with the optical disk in response to a signal from a system controller, said clamp means comprises a disk-shaped clamper which is supported on a support plate above said shaft within said housing, said support plate being selectively movable between an upper disengaged position and a lower engaged position within said housing, said clamper being formed with an annular projection for engagement with the center portion of one of the optical disks, said clamper further being formed with a magnetic portion, said clamper being rotatable with respect to said support plate generally concentrically with said shaft, said clamper being selectively engagable with one of the optical disks formed without a hub;
• wherein said motor is supported for pivotal movement within said housing for movement from a disk-disengaged position to a disk-engagement position in response to insertion of the cartridge into said cartridge holder;
• a first sensing means for sensing the presence of the optical disk in said cartridge holder;
• a second sensing means for determining the type of optical disk in said cartridge holder;
• optical data reading means disposed in said housing for reading data stored on the optical disk inserted in said cartridge holder;
• an optical data recording head connected for movement with said optical data reading means for recording data on the optical disk inserted into said cartridge holder;
• and
• a system controller electronically connected to said optical data reading means and said first and second sensing means.

An optical disk recording/playback device, comprising:

• a housing having a first generally vertical face, said face being formed with generally parallel, horizontally extending first and second openings;
• a cartridge holder disposed in said housing adjacent to said first opening for retaining an optical disk disposed in a cartridge, the cartridge being insertable through said first opening;
• a retractable tray on which a bare optical disk is insertable, said cartridge holder and said tray being arranged adjacent to one another and parallel to one another with respect to a vertical direction with said tray positioned within said housing, said retractable tray being configured to selectively extend through said second opening;
• a turntable disposed under said retractable tray in said housing, said turntable configured to center and retain the optical disk disposed in the cartridge in response to insertion of the cartridge into said cartridge holder, said turntable also configured to center and retain the bare optical disk in response to insertion of the bare optical disk onto said retractable tray, said turntable comprising:
• a motor having a shaft;
• an annular support member connected to said shaft, said annular support member formed with a tapered conical surface, said annular support member being spring biased away from said motor such that said tapered conical surface is engagable with a center portion of one of the optical disks,
• a magnetic body centered in said annular support member;
• a clamp means selectively engagable with one of the optical disks in response to a signal from a system controller, said clamp means having a disk-shaped clamper which is supported on a support plate above said shaft within said housing, said support plate being selectively movable between an upper disengaged position and a lower engaged position within said housing, said clamper being formed with an annular projection for engagement with the center portion of one of the optical disks, said clamper further being formed with a magnetic portion, said clamper being rotatable with respect to said support plate generally concentrically with said shaft, said clamper being selectively engagable with one of the optical disks formed without a hub;
• and
• wherein said motor is supported for pivotal movement within said housing for movement from a disk-disengaged position to a disk-engagement position in response to insertion of one of the optical disks;
• a first sensing means for sensing the presence of one of the optical disks in said housing;
• a second sensing means for determining the type of optical disk inserted into said housing;
• optical data reading means disposed in said housing for reading data stored on the optical disk inserted in said housing;
• an optical data recording head connected for movement with said optical data reading means for recording data on the optical disk inserted into said housing;
• system controller electronically connected to said optical data reading means and said first and second sensing means.

An optical disk recording/playback device, comprising:

• a housing having a face formed with an opening;
• a tray supported by said housing, said tray being retractable from an open position where said tray at least partially extends out of said opening in said housing and to a closed position where said tray is retracted within said housing, said tray formed with a recess to receive a bare optical disk, said recess having a diameter generally corresponding to the bare optical disk, said tray also formed with a plurality of cartridge setting pins for receiving and retaining an optical disk disposed in a cartridge, said cartridge setting pins being formed on said tray radially outward from the diameter of said recess such that the cartridge is positionable over said recess;
• a turntable supported within said housing, said turntable being configured to center and retain one of the bare optical disk and the optical disk within the cartridge in response to one of the bare optical disk and the optical disk in the cartridge being received in said housing, said turntable comprising:
• a motor having a shaft;
• an annular support member connected to said shaft, said annular support member formed with a tapered conical surface, said annular support member being spring biased away from said motor such that said tapered conical surface is engagable with a center portion of one of the optical disks;
• a magnetic body centered in said annular support member;
• a clamp means selectively engagable with the optical disk in response to a signal from a system controller, said clamp means having a disk-shaped clamper which is supported on a support plate above said shaft within said housing, said support plate being selectively movable between an upper disengaged position and a lower engaged position within said housing, said clamper being formed with an annular projection for engagement with the center portion of one of the optical disks, said clamper further being formed with a magnetic portion, said clamper being rotatable with respect to said support plate generally concentrically with said shaft, said clamper being selectively engagable with one of the optical disks formed without a hub;
• and
• wherein said motor is supported for pivotal movement within said housing for movement from a disk-disengaged position to a disk-engagement position in response to insertion of one of the optical disks;
• a first sensor disposed in said housing configured to sense a presence of the cartridge in said tray;
• a second sensor disposed in said tray for sensing the presence of the bare optical disk on said tray;
• a third sensor disposed in said housing for sensing writeablity of the optical disk in the cartridge;
• optical data reading means disposed in said housing for reading data stored on one of the optical disk in the cartridge and the bare optical disk;
• an optical data recording head connected for movement with said optical data reading means for recording data on the optical disk disposed in said housing;
• system controller electronically connected to said optical data reading means and said first, second and third sensors.